36C25625Q1462SSN 0001.docx

5. PROJECT NUMBER (if applicable)

CODE

7.

ADMINISTERED BY

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER

CODE

6. ISSUED BY

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NUMBER

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED

PAGE OF

PAGES

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED

BPA NO.

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODE

CODE

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

E. IMPORTANT:

is extended,

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning __________ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

(REV. 11/2016)

is required to sign this document and return ___________ copies to the issuing office.

is not, A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO:

Specify authority)

THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

15C. DATE SIGNED

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR

OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER

Contractor

16C. DATE SIGNED

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION

16B. UNITED

STATES OF AMERICA

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF

CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

STANDARD FORM 30

PREVIOUS EDITION NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.243 (Type or print) (Type or print) (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

(Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code) (If other than Item 6) (Specify type of modification and authority) (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.)

(If required)

(SEE ITEM 11)

(SEE ITEM 13)

(X)

CHECK

ONE

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF

SOLICITATIONS

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer) Department of Veterans Affairs Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System Network Contracting Office 16 400 Veterans Avenue Biloxi MS 39531 Department of Veterans Affairs Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System Network Contracting Office 16 400 Veterans Avenue Biloxi MS 39531 To all Offerors/Bidders

36C25625Q1462SSN

X X X ** HOUR & DATE for Receipt of Offers is EXTENDED to: 09-22-2025 12:00 PM CDT See CONTINUATION Page X The purpose of this amendment is to respond to all questions received. Please see attached questions and answers.

The Scope of Work has also been revised. Please pay close attention to it as well.

A site visit has been scheduled for Wed., Sep. 17, at 10:00 a.m. CT. Please meet at Bldg. 10.

Ms. Misty Madison will be there to escort everyone.

Questions may be received but will not be answered during the site visit. All questions will be submitted to the Contracting Officer and a final amendment will be issued to the solicitation before final offers are to be submitted by the closing date and time. The closing date and time of this solicitation has been extended to 09/22/2025;

12:00 p.m. CT.

Danette Rene' Impey Contracting Officer 09-15-2025

CONTINUATION PAGE

Questions Regarding Solicitation 36C25625Q1462SSN_1

1. Is this a new requirement?

This is a new FY26 contract period, however not a new requirement that has not been complied with previously. The current contract is expiring 09/30/2025. The sampling requirement is consistent with historical compliance as it pertains to water sampling collection associated with VHA 1061, Prevention of Healthcare Associated Legionella and Scald Control.

2. If this is not a new requirement, who is the incumbent, and what is the contract number and contract value?

The incumbent is HGS Engineering, Contract No. 36C25621P0004, total contract value $161,690.00.

3. B.3 Line Items and Page 5 – There are no line items for pricing services other than the testing requirements. There is no line items for Scope of Work section on page 5, 1-6 of section titled “The work associated with the execution and management of the test results on a quarterly basis for the Biloxi VA is listed as follows:…” Will the government provide a CLIN table with line items for these services which are outside the scope of providing sampling, testing, and laboratory results?

The only services requested are water sampling collection, analysis, and sample reporting, as have previously been performed.

4. Page 22 Clause 52.222-43 is not checked. Can the government clarify if this clause applies to the contract and if so, provide an updated solicitation showing the clause included?

Clause 52.222-43 will be checked as appropriate and updated in the amendment to the RFQ.

5. Page 26 Instructions (c) (2) Technical 3rd paragraph asks for “prior experience” including similar information as asked for in the Past Performance requirement. Can the government clarify if this response is required in the technical section?

Yes, this information should be listed in your proposal as well.

Questions Cont’d

6. Will VA staff be available to escort contractor sampling personnel for a whole day to ensure all samples can be collected over 2-3 days? If not, what will be the expected schedule of collections?

No, the VA will not routinely be available to escort the contractor for 2-3 days. Although they may accompany the sampler periodically, to provide occasional oversite of contract performance.

The VA will expect the contractor to undergo background check and obtain a contractor’s badge and perform quarterly sampling, as needed, after checking in with the Safety Office. The VA Water Safety Manager will supply the contractor with a site specific sampling plan each quarter, which will provide each location samples shall be collected from. There will be VA staff available to contact at all times, should questions arise during the sampling event.

7. Page 5, item #1: Facilitate and advise in the on-going management of the Water Management Team (WMT) to discuss, address and manage all water systems.

The scope of work has been updated to reflect this omitted, and this relates to 7. a, b, c, d.

a. Can the government provide more information on their expectations from the contractor regarding this task?

b. Will the contractor be expected to lead the Water Management Team (WMT) meetings, or only facilitate/log support?

c. How often are meetings held (quarterly, monthly, ad hoc)?

d. Are minutes, reports, or recommendations expected from the contractor after each meeting?

8. Page 5, item #2: Maintain, assist and advise in the executing and maintaining the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) process and documents.

The scope of work has been updated to reflect this omitted, and this relates to 8. a, b, c, d.

a. Can the government provide more information on their expectations from the contractor regarding this task?

b. Does the VA currently have an established HACCP plan, or will the contractor need to develop and implement one from scratch?

c. Who owns and approves HACCP documentation—the contractor or VA personnel?

d. What level of training, if any, is expected to be provided by the contractor to VA staff?

9. Page 5, item #3: Provide guidance, analysis and management of the potable water test results from the continuous water quality monitoring systems and on-site water testing.

The scope of work has been updated to reflect this omitted, and this relates to 9. a, b

a. Can the government provide more information on their expectations from the contractor regarding this task?

b. Will there be scheduled meetings or will this be performed on an as needed basis?

10. Page 5, item #4: Maintain, operate and continue to customize the web-based Water Management Program (WMP) Management Information System.

The scope of work has been updated to reflect this omitted, and this relates to 10. a, b, c, d.

a. What web-based Water Management Program (WMP) system is currently in place?

b. Does the VA provide access to this system, or must the contractor develop/customize a new platform or engage directly with the software company to obtain access?

c. What cybersecurity or data security standards must be followed?

d. Will contractors be expected to provide hosting/IT support, or only programmatic updates?

11. Page 5, item #5: Implement, monitor and adjust as necessary the Water Management Program (WMP) in order to achieve the desired performance in compliance with Directive 1061.

The scope of work has been updated to reflect this omitted, and this relates to 11. a, b.

a. The above tasks all call out the WMP as having already been implemented, can the government clarify use of the word implement here?

b. Will the government provide the contractor with the procedure being used currently by the incumbent to perform this task?

12. Page 5, item #6: Verify that the Water Management Program is performing as designed on a quarterly and annual basis through testing, monitoring and documentation of system performance.

Not needed, removed from scope of work.

a. What type of verification documents will be required by the government from the contractor to ensure this task is completed successfully.

13. The following questions apply to items 1-6 on page 5:

The scope of work has been updated to reflect this omitted, and this relates to 13. a, b, c, d.

a. Is there a requirement for on-site presence at Biloxi VA, or can much of the work be performed remotely?

b. How many contractor FTEs are expected or assumed by the VA for successful execution?

c. What deliverables are expected each quarter (e.g., reports, data dashboards, corrective action plans)?

d. Will the contractor be notified by the COR when the contractor outputs are approved?

14. The following questions are related to the section on page 6: SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS BY THE CONTRACTOR:

a. Can the government indicate what type of certifications will be required by the sampling personnel?

Certifications required are sampling methodology and water sampling in accordance with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and legionella sampling methods that covers sterile technique, roper bottle type, neutralizing agents, aseptic collection, chain of custody, and shipping.

15. Page 6, under safety considerations states: “Contractor will not be allowed to use Government tools, materials, and/or labor for this project.” However, tasks 1-6 on page 5 require the contractor to use what we can only assume to be Government owned tools (WMP information system) and materials (WMP, and HACCP documents). Can the government provide some clarity on this statement?

Please disregard WMP, HACCP terminology stated on previous document.

16. Can the government confirm there is no requirement for retesting in this solicitation?

Post remediation sampling will be required, as needed, for positive legionella samples >1 colony forming unit (CFU). This will be expected within 10 business days of receiving notification of positive sample, and after remediation steps have been completed.

17. Historically, what is the % positivity rate of Legionella bacteria over the past three years?

FY25: All 560 building samples collected were normal (100% rate of legionella free water) Cooling Tower-Utility Water Samples 32 were normal (100% rate of legionella-free utility samples) FY24: All 559 building samples collected were normal (100% rate of legionella free water) Cooling Tower-Utility Water Samples 32/2 were positive (93.75% legionella-free utility samples) FY23 Total samples collected for Biloxi: 591; 560 building samplings collected, all 560 legionella free (100% of samples legionella free) 3 samples collected out of 31 were positive for Legionella. 90 % utility water samples collected were legionella free.

18. Can the government provide the number of ice machines that will be sampled per quarter wherein wet ice will be collected and tested?

Approximately 10 samples, as needed, for pure cold requirement

19. Will the government provide the contractor with a list of sampling locations each quarter?

Yes, each quarter a sampling plan with specific instructions will be prepared and provided to contractor within 3 business days of sampling event. Please see example ATTACHMENT QUARTERLY SAMPLING PLAN.

SCOPE OF WORK

QUARTERY LEGIONNELLA TESTING, BLDG 3, 5, 14, 15, 19, 25, 30,

AND WATER PLANT MANAGEMENT

GULF COAST VETERANS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

BILOXI, MS

Furnish all labor, tools, materials, equipment, and supervision necessary to perform all work associated with testing for Legionella bacteria and other impurities at various described locations in Buildings 3, 5, 14, 15, 19, 25, 30, and the Chiller Plant (cooling towers, chiller loop, and condenser) on a quarterly basis as further described below, all water sampling locations being located at the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System, Biloxi, Mississippi.

The work required is listed as follows:

1. Contractor shall test on a quarterly basis both the hot water and cold water faucets at ten (10) locations in each of Buildings 3, 5, 14, 15, 19, 25, 30, and up to 8 utility water samples in the Chiller Plant (Bldg. 3) to include cooling towers and chiller loop and condenser locations. The test locations at each building will be determined by Veterans Affairs personnel. Total number of water samples taken on a quarterly basis is 148. The period of performance for this service contract will be for one year or for 4 consecutive quarters, beginning in the first quarter of FY 26, with four optional years.

2. Samples taken of the potable water system at the distal sites for this service contract will be tested for Legionella bacteria, residual biocide, pH and temperature. Test results will be forwarded to the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) within 15 working days of sampling. Test results shall be sent to the COR via electronic mail with a pdf attachment within the specified period of time. The results will be reported in current spreadsheet format provided by the COR.

3. Contractor shall coordinate the distal site sampling locations with VA personnel. No water sampling shall occur until VA has given prior approval to start work. Contractor representatives conducting sampling will be required to obtain PIV badges through the VA security personnel security office. All water samples shall be collected per CDC guidelines. Samples shall be tested at laboratories certified by the CDC Environmental Legionella Isolation Techniques Evaluation (ELITE).

4. Complete the Legionella Sample Collection Spreadsheets to be provided by the government each quarter of the sampling test results. Spreadsheet contains 29 different data entries for each of the 148 sample locations. The information to be entered in the spreadsheet consists of VISN, station number, FY, QTR, Building number, Sample ID, Sample date, reason for sample, floor, room, occupancy, sample source, sample type, sample volume, water temp, biocide type, biocide level, pH, name taking sample, date sample sent to lab, date of test results received, legionella detected, lab name, lab sample ID, sample stored for future molecular typing, storage end date, notes (optional). Fields will be added or deleted in accordance with mandated changes in VA requirements. The contractor will be responsible for all sample collection and analytical service data required on the spreadsheets.

WATER SAMPLING SCHEDULE

1. Water sampling and test results shall be submitted to the Biloxi VA for the first quarter prior to December 31, 2025, in effort to report the water sampling results in January 2026 in accordance with VHA Directive 1061. All samples shall be collected prior to the end of the second month of each quarter throughout the contract base year and exercised option years. Each subsequent quarterly sampling and testing shall be performed such that results are reported in accordance with VHA Directive 1061.

2. Work will be performed during the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays. Some work outside of normal hours of operations may be necessary and must be coordinated with the project COR.

3. The Contractor shall notify the COR(s) at least one week in advance of planned sampling activities.

POST REMEDIATION WATER SAMPLING

1. Upon notice that a sample analysis has resulted in 1 colony forming units (CFU) or more, a resample will be required following remediation actions performed by the facility Engineering team. Post remediation sampling shall be conducted within 10 business days of post remediation.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS BY THE CONTRACTOR:

1. All sampling and testing shall be done in accordance with VHA Directive 1061.

2. The contractor will be responsible for cleanliness of the building area both interior and exterior.

The contractor will ensure that sampling personnel arrive with adequate supplies, personal protective equipment and active certifications as required.

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS:

1. Contractor’s workmen shall provide and utilize all safety requirements in accordance with OSHA regulations during all phases of the work.

Contractor will not be allowed to use Government tools, materials, and/or labor for this project.

All work is to be performed in strict compliance with the “Scope of Work”.

See attached document: ATTACHMENT QUARTERLY SAMPLING PLAN EXAMPLE.

See attached document: S04-Site Plan-Biloxi 1 MAP.

Amendment to solicitation to add questions received and site visit for Legionella water testing services.

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